Welcome to Arkham Asylum
by CapedCrusaderRising
Summary: The inmates of Arkham Asylum have been set free by The Joker and it is up to Batman to take back the asylum.
1. The Madhouse

Recently I have been obsessed with playing Batman on Xbox and I decided that I wanted to write the story of Batman Arkham Asylum. I tried to match up most of the stuff to the game, but I can't promise that I am going to follow the exact plot because it wouldn't be as fun as adding in some unexpected twists! Leave a review and tell me what you thought! Also I do not own any of these characters. Enjoy!

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Racing through the rain-slicked streets of Gotham, the bat mobile maneuvered its way through the labyrinth-like streets until it skidded out onto the road to Arkham Asylum. The bat mobile shot down the road, kicking up dead leaves in its wake, as it passed the infamous sign: 'Arkham Asylum ahead, Hitchhikers May Be Escaping Patients', confirming that it was on the right path.

Within the bat mobile, the driver was trying to focus on the road, but the new passenger had set him on edge. In the back seat of the bat mobile sat a slightly beat up, handcuffed, Joker. Batman had had the Joker cuffed and in the bat mobile within five minutes of arriving to the scene. It seemed like Batman had won again… right? That is undetermined but, Batman had noticed how easily the Joker had allowed himself to be caught. There had been no large henchman to stop Batman nor had there been any 'witty banter' as the Joker referred to it. The Joker simply gave up.

"Stand back fool I've got a bomb!" The Joker cried. "Oh right." The Joker said and laughed.

Batman ignored the Joker, but his hands did tighten around the wheel. The bat mobile pulled up to the Asylum and Batman stepped on the brakes hard, hoping to stop the Joker's laughter. The Joker was jolted forward, face first into the headrest in front of him, but that just caused another fit of giggles.

Stepping out of the bat mobile, Batman pulled the Joker out by his shirt collar and pulled him into the Asylum. Batman was met with the sight of Warden Sharp and Boles and two other security guards. Joker recognized Boles and as Boles came to restrain the Joker, he spoke to him like they were friends.

"Yo, Frank-ay! How's the wife and kids? Did ya miss me?"

Boles grabbed the Joker by the collar of his shirt and spoke through clenched teeth, "Shut it clown! A lot of people here really want to talk to you."

Boles pulled the Joker forward and led him to the upright gurney with metal and leather straps for his ankles and wrists.

In a low angry voice, the Joker said "Really, I don't mind walking." as they threw him towards the restraining device.

As Boles and the other guard strapped the Joker in, the Joker said casually, "Not so tight boys. You'll crease the suit."

Warden Sharp was fed up at the point and, to Boles he said, "Get that filthy degenerate out of here."

As they started to leave, Batman said "Warden, something's not right. I'm going with him" and followed them into Intensive Treatment.

Upon entering Intensive Treatment, Batman asked one of the security guards if Commissioner Gordon was here. The guard had said that Gordon was waiting for him down at Patient Handover.

"Sharpie loves his cameras. Sharpie! You getting my good side? Hell, they're all good!" Joker interrupted as they reached one of the lowering platforms.

Choosing to not respond to the Joker, Sharp spoke to one of the security guards next to him. "I want him securely locked away this time. Another escape and I will lose support for my mayoral campaign.'

Boles, two security guards, Batman, and the Joker filed onto the lowering platform.

"Look at all this new security. How's a guy suppose to break outta here?" The Joker asked Boles with a smile on his face as the platform descended to its destination.

After stepping from the platform, a voice signaled their arrival as Cash lead them to the Lock.

"New patient in the Intensive Treatment Lock. All non-essential staff to vacate the area."

"It's always nice to return to my sweet little haha hacienda." The Joker said nostalgically as they entered the Lock.

Stepping in, the Lock closed and started to scan everyone inside the lock. Blue lines of light scanned each person from head to toe.

"Ya know what? I preferred the good ol' cavity search. Much more personal." The Joker said as a set lights scanned his body.

The lights changed to red and the Lock started beeping.

"We got a red light. Multiple prohibited items." A man said from the control room of the Lock.

"I want Joker searched again." Cash said angrily.

"Umm," said the man who had called the red light, "It's not the patient. It's.."

"Ooo!" The Joker interrupted. 'Whatcha sneak in with you Bats? C'mon/ Tell me, tell me! Batarangs? Batclwas? Bat snacks?"

The scan was confirmed green on Joker and they exited the Lock.

"I want weapons on him at all times. Do not let him out of your sight." Cash said to the guards around the Joker.

Threateningly, the Joker spoke directly to Cash, "There'll be time enough for you later, Cash." Then the Joker's switch flipped and he said "Speaking of time,, tick tock, tick, tock. Is that a crocodile I hear?"

Walking down another corridor, one of the TV's on the wall activated. It was of Warden Sharp address the 'new patient'.

'Oh it's my favorite show. "I'm Warden Idiot", "You'll never escape". The Joker said as he crudely mimicked Quincy Sharp's voice, punctuating it with a round of hysterical laughter.

They passed several rows of cells and within them, some of the inmates were cheering on the Joker's arrival. The Joker called out happily to those who were cheering for him. Walking past the cells, they came to a doctor with a clipboard and another set of security guards.

"I just got to check your prisoner Officer Boles." the doctor said in a slightly nasally voice.

Boles order the doctor to be quick about it and the doctor hesitantly look at the Joker's body.

"Patient looks to be in a satisfactory condition. He seems to have suffered minor lacerations, most likely within the last two hours." The doctor said as he jotted down a few things on his clipboard.

Out of nowhere, the Joker let out a loud bark of laughter, causing the doctor to jump back in fright and the security guards to aim their weapons at the Joker.

"Need to take my temperature?" The Joker asked. "I'd be happy to drop my pants."

Frightened, the doctor ended his examination and order the Joker to get out. Boles happily obliged and they wheeled the Joker out of the room and into the transit station.

"Alert in Intensive Treatment. Category nine patient in transit. Pacification system active. Shoot to kill permissions granted." An electronic voice said.

A four guards were on either side of the Joker as the wheeled him into the transit station. They all had their guns in their hands and were staring at the transit that was coming up. As the transit moved up towards their level, sparks flew and metal ground against metal.

"Can you smell the excitement in the air? The Joker said giddily. "No? Must have been one of the guards then." he deduced.

The transit arrived and through the metal grate you could see a hunched over Killer Croc. The Joker called out joyously as he looked over his shoulder towards the transit "Croc old boy, is that you?"

Croc was lead out of the elevator and, as he sniffed the air, his animalistic eyes landed on Batman. His heavy feet shook the room as he positioned himself to get a good view of Batman.

"I've got your scent Batman. I will hunt you down." Croc growled. One of the guards activated Croc's shock collar and Croc hunched over. "A toy collar won't stop me from killing you Batman." Croc thudded out of the room saying "I'll rip you apart. Eat your bones." The doors closed behind Croc, leaving everyone in an eerie silence.

"That reminds me, I really need to get me some new shoes." The Joker said aloud, looking down at his feet.

Ignoring Joker, the guards and Batman moved into the transit, wheeling him along. They settled into the elevator and the Joker had an outburst.

"Great night for a party!" The Joker shouted.

"Not where you're going." Batman replied shortly.

"The night is young, Bats." The Joker said as he looked at Batman. "I still have a trick or two up my sleeve. I mean, don't you think it's a little bit funny how a fire at Blackgate caused hundreds of my crew to be moved here?" The Joker questioned.

One of the guards in the transit had had enough of the Joker's talking and shouted at him to stay quiet.

The Joker spoke to the guard like he would a child.

"Oh Frankie! You really should learn to keep that fat mouth of yours shut. It'll get you into trouble!"

Batman couldn't take it anymore.

"Tell me something," Batman asked. "You've never let me catch you this easily. What are you really after."

The Joker happily replied "Nothing much. Hundreds dying in pain and fear. All their meaningless live brought to a horrifying conclusion. All thanks to you and a book of matches. Was that the answer you wanted?" The Joker finished.

Warden Sharp came onto one of the TVs in the transit informing patients to avoid prisoners from Blackgate Prison Facility. The Joker bursted out into psychotic laughter, shaking his head back and forth wildly. The lights inside the transit flickered twice and then went dark. The Joker giggled in the darkness as the guards questioned what the Joker was doing. Batman acted instantaneously and, when the lights came back on, his hand was around the Joker's throat.

"What? Don't you trust me?" The Joker choked out with a smirk on his face.

The elevator signaled their arrival and Batman reluctantly let go of the Joker. Wheeling out the clown, they were informed that the Intensive Treatment lower floors were at level Red Alpha as they passed through another corridor lined with guards. One of the guards told the Joker that he had killed three of his crew when he had first escaped.

"Only three?" The Joker said in shock. "I'll be sure to try harder next time. What say we aim for a hundred?"

Traveling through another set of corridors, they finally arrived at the Intensive Treatment Ward. Gordon was waiting for Batman there.

"Long night Jim?" Batman asked the Commissioner.

Heh, Joker invades City Hall and holds the Mayor hostage, leaving me to juggle SWAT tams, the media, and you. Yeah, it's been a helluva night." He admits as he shakes hands with Batman.

"Hopefully the last one we'll ever have with him." Batman replies.

Batman went to follow the Joker and his guards to the holding cells when a guard held up his hand.

"Hold it there! Sorry Batman. Arkham staff only."

Gordon jumped in to defend Batman.

"I assure you, if anyone's qualified, it's..."

The guard interrupted Gordon's speech, "I appreciate the assistance, but he'll unsettle the more violent inmates.

"I think he's talking about you Bats." The Joker said as he was unstrapped from his restraints, but still handcuffed. "Don't be a stranger. You're always welcome here." He called back towards Batman as they led him towards an electrically guarded door. "I gotta say. It is good to be back." The Joker quipped as he was lead pasted the electric door.

Gordon noticed Batman's tight expression.

"You okay?" He asked.

Batman shook his head as he stared at the back of the Joker's head.

"He surrendered almost without a fight. I don't like it." He said as he walked towards the windows that looked out over the cell floor.

"At least he's back where he belongs." Gordon said as he followed Batman to the window.

The Joker was being led out over the cell floor when he tripped onto his hands and knees. The guard escorting him, yanked on his arm, telling him to get up. The guard bent don't to pick him up when the Joker's head rammed back into the guard's lower jaw. The Joker wrapped the chain of his handcuffs around the fallen guard's neck while the doctor tried to stop him.

Batman saw this happen and told Gordon to alert the Warden. He backed up a few steps and threw his fist at the reinforced glass.

The Joker was choking the guard and the doctor went searching for the set of keys for the Joker's handcuffs.

"Hurry! We're losing him Doc!" The Joker laughed as the doctor shakily unlocked the handcuffs.

Free from the last of his restraints, the Joker kicked the doctor in the chest, sending him sprawling onto the floor next to the guard who was gasping for air.

Leaning down next to the guard, the Joker said "The choke's on you."

Laughing around the fallen men, the Joker pointed at one of the cameras and said "Honey I'm home!"

At those words, the electrically guarded door deactivated. Just as the door deactivated, Batman came crashing through the reinforced glass, landing in the middle of the room. The Joker ran past the door and the electricity reactivated itself, protecting the Joker from Batman.

"Welcome to the madhouse Batman! I set a trap and you sprang it gloriously!" The Joker shouted with his arms spread wide. "Now let's get this party started!" The Joker said as he ran off.

Batman watched as the Joker ran off and then registered the dozen of inmates surrounding him. Welcome to the madhouse indeed.


	2. Shocking Rescue

Sorry this took me so long to get back to, but I started a new job and everything has been pretty crazy. No matter now because I'm back with another little taste of what is to come! Enjoy!

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Batman took in his surroundings. Inmates from the surrounding cells were escaping onto the floor to have their go at Batman. Lashing out, Batman threw punches and kicks as the Joker's voice floated out from several screens displaying his image.

"Ladies and maniacs. I apologize for this interruption to your regular entertainment." The Joker said as Batman took out two of the three remaining inmates.

Starting on the last inmate, Batman went for a quick take down while the Joker kept speaking.

"Up until a few seconds ago, I was going to kill everyone in the room and then watch cartoons, but then... well… you know how I do love a captive audience." The Joker said with a little giggle.

More inmates came out of their cells and Batman turned on them, knocking them out quickly with either two punches to the both sides of the face and then a crushing step on a leg or one hard punch to the temple. Batman made quick work of the pathetic attempt to try to stop him.

"I'm just warming you up, Bats." The Joker said after the inmates had all fallen.

With a new vigor in his voice, the Joker spoke directly to Batman.

"Fresh from Blackgate Correctional Facility, with a combined sentence of 752 years. Ding, ding, ding ding ding! It's round two!"

Another small group of inmates, all shirtless and heavily muscled, ran out of their cells towards Batman. Batman knocked one down and went to work on another, moving from each inmate with skills that took him years to master.

"Sorry, Bats, gotta run. I've got places to go, people to slay." The Joker said as Batman blocked an incoming fist to his face.

Batman took care of the four remaining inmates and surveyed the room. Looking around the holding cells, Gordon came onto the screens that the Joker had just occupied.

"The system's jammed! We're stuck in here. Joker's in full control of the security gates." Gordon informed Batman.

"I'll find a way out!' Batman assured Jim. "Gordon, try and contact the Warden. Let him know what's happened. I'll be back." Batman finished.

Evidentially listening in, the Joker came back through the screens and said "Don't make promises you can't keep, Bats. I'm in control of the Asylum. You're not going anywhere I don't want you to. Understand?" The Joker finished in an eerily quiet, almost menacing voice.

"If you think I'll let you run…" Batman started, with his own fury lacing his low voice.

"Blah, blah, blah. Always with the hero speak. I'm getting bored of watching you. Why don't you just come find me…" The Joker said in an excited voice as he disappeared from the screens. The electric door that the Joker had escaped out of deactivated, punctuating the Joker's invitation.

Gordon came back onto the screens. 'You know it's a trap." He said.

"Of course it is." Batman replied to Gordon.

Batman walked through the electric door and down the hallway. Turning the corner, he saw dead guards lining both sides of the hall.

_"Joker's been busy. These poor guards never stood a chance!"_ He thought as he took in the sight of the nearest guard's limp body.

Warden Sharp's recorded voice came through the TV's, preaching about medication, when it was suddenly interrupted.

"Warning. Security breach in level B3. Warning Security breach in level B2. Warning Security breach in level B8." Said an electronic voice. The voice listed off numerous security breaches in other levels. Batman took off down the hall when a pair of inmates came around the corner. Batman took them down quickly and then tried to contact Oracle.

"Oracle, can you hear me?" He said, pressing down on his communication device in his ear.

"Loud and clear. What's up?" Oracle's voice said as it came through.

"Joker's escaped custody. He's running free in Arkham." Batman filled in.

"Do you need anything? Is my dad still there?" Oracle asked, her voice breaking slightly on dad.

Batman reassured Oracle. "Commissioner Gordon is safe. Joker's not far ahead. I'll stay in contact."

Batman ended his call to Oracle and made his way through an automatic door when he heard a voice shouting.

"Think about what you are doing, Zsasz!"

Batman turned the corner and saw two guards standing in front of an electrically armed door. Batman walked up the guard named Zach Franklin.

'Thank God!" Franklin exclaimed. "It's Zsasz. He's got Mike. He's strapped in the chair. Zsasz has totally lost it!"

"Wait here." Was all Batman replied.

"You can't! He'll kill Mike if he sees anyone trying to get close." Franklin shouted in fear at Batman.

"He won't see me!" Batman said as he walked away towards a security screen.

The screen showed a clear image of Zsasz holding a remote to the electric shock chair in front of him. The guard, presumably Mike, was strapped into that electric shock chair.

"I see anything that looks even a little bit like a bat and this guard dies. Do you hear me?" Zsasz said, ending his threat with a press of his remote, which sent Mike into screams as he was shocked.

Batman went up a set of stairs next to the security screens and followed them up to a balcony lined with security guards aiming their guards down at Zsasz.

Assessing the situation, Batman thought aloud "I've got to get close enough to Zsasz to strike. He'll see me coming on the ground, so I'll stay up high." Batman finished as his eyes landed on the gargoyles on each wall near the ceiling.

_"These old gargoyles should be able to support my weight if I grapple to them."_ Batman thought as he removed his grapple from his belt and took aim.

He pulled the trigger on the grapple and it shot into the side of the gargoyles head, digging deep into the carved stone. The grapple retracted, pulling Batman towards the gargoyle. Batman flipped underneath the gargoyle and onto its back, allowing Batman a view of the twisted show down below him.

Zsasz paced around the electric chair, making it hard for Batman to keep him in view so he grappled to the other gargoyles using the ceiling as a pivot point for him to swing from gargoyle to gargoyle. Moving to the gargoyle directly behind Zsasz, Batman launched off the gargoyle and flew down towards Zsasz's unprotected back.

Within a few feet of Zsasz, Batman leaned back and threw his feet forward, making solid contact between Zsasz and his boots. Zsasz flew forward from the unsuspected blow and that was all Batman needed. Batman grabbed Zsasz by the neck, steadying his head, and delivered one solid punch to his scarred face, knocking Zsasz unconscious.

A guard came around to the fallen psychopath and said in disgust, "Someone put this animal back in his cell."

The security screens near the back of the room flickered on, revealing Harley Quinn.

"Can ya hear me? Is this thing on?" She said as she fiddled with the camera, before finally aiming it at her face.

"Oh. Hiya, B-man! Harley Quinn here." She said as she stepped away from the camera, holding a cane with a jeweled handle. "How do you like my new uniform? Pretty hot, huh?" Harley said, as she showed off a red and blue corset over a white puffy sleeved shirt with a matching mini skirt, complete with blood splatter.

"Oh , I got something to show you."

Harley ran off camera, but then came back saying "One second, B-man." She disappeared again.

"Ta-da!" She shouted as she pushed a duck tapped Warden Sharp onto camera. He struggled against his restraints, which appeared to be attached to an office chair.

Harley threw her arm over Sharp's shoulder and said, "I'm now subbing for the old man. Old Sharpie's never been happier!" She finished seductively as she put one leg up onto Warden Sharp and leaned his head towards her breasts.

She threw his head away from her and looked back at the camera, back at Batman. "In case ya ain't figured it out, today's the Joker's big homecoming, and you're the guest of honor."

"You have one chance to surrender, Quinn." Batman said at the pigtailed blonde.

"Tempting, Bats, but no dice. Now the inmates are running the asylum."

Harley stopped for a moment and then rephrased what she said. "Well, technically they're Joker's goons shipped from Blackgate, but you get the idea."

Harley waved goodbye at Batman, "Bye bye for now!" She said and, with one hit from the cane that Batman recognized as Warden Sharp's, the screens went to static.

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Oh my god, was that as fun to read for you as it was for me to write? I love writing this because it gives me an excuse to sit on my ass all day and play video games. Leave a review and tell me what you think! There should be more chapters to come!


	3. Leave No Man Behind

Hello lovely readers! Here is another installment of Arkham Asylum. Please try to not faint with excitement as you read because it gets good!

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"Batman, you picking this up?"

Oracle's voice suddenly rang in Batman's ears. Pressing his fingers to his communication device in his ear, he answered her.

"Oracle, I'm here."

"Arkham Asylum just vanished off the network!" Oracle said in shock.

"He's in control of the security system. He's probably isolated it from the grid." Batman deduced.

"That's not all he's done." Oracle said, "All the police feeds are reporting he's placed bombs all over Gotham. Says he'll detonate them if anyone sets foot on Arkham Island. It's being suppressed at the moment, but the story will break any time now."

Batman didn't believe any of it.

"He's lying. It's just a diversion to keep people away."

"How do you know?' Oracle challenged.

"I know him." Batman said deliberately and then ended the call.

Batman went to exit the room to start tracking the Joker down when a guard spoke.

"The room's locked down. I can't open the gate. We're trapped in here!"

Another guard answered him, trying to keep panic at a minimum.

"Try the radio. Control should be able to shut down the gate!"

Batman knew what was going on.

"_Harley thinks she has me trapped in this chamber."_ Batman thought_. "She never was very bright."_

Batman saw a ventilation cover on the far side of the room and knew a way out when he saw one. He grasped both sides of the cover and pulled. The metal groaned and the screws loosened until the whole cover came off the wall. Batman placed it off to the side and crouched low into the vent.

A nearby guard saw Batman doing this and, as he crawled through the vent, he heard him say, "He's got out. Batman's found a way out!"

As Batman made his way through the vent, Oracle came back through.

"Batman, I'm patching you into the guard radio feed."

The radio feed came through the communication device and into Batman's ear.

"Steve, more Blackgate prisoners. By the boiler!" A guard on the feed said.

"Who's that behind them? Oh my God… It's Joker. He's free. How'd he break out!?" The guard named Steve said in shock. The feed stopped abruptly.

"Sorry," Oracle said, "feed's down. Comms are up and down like crazy. It's not good. I'll keep trying."

Oracle ends the call and Batman reached another ventilation cover. Pressing his boot up against the middle of the cover, he pushes it outward, bending the middle of it. He then kicks the weakened metal and it goes flying into the next room.

Batman jumps out of the vent and into the processing corridor. He watched a guard run out of the room and went to follow him. He stepped through an automatic door and into Decontamination. His presence was met with an electronic voice.

"Warning: Decontamination Room. Toxins detected."

At the end of the corridor was the guard that Batman had seen run away earlier. He was looking out a window into a room filled with green gas. The guard held his head in his hands as he looked through the glass in horror.

"Damn it, they're trapped in there!"

"Warning: Decontamination Room. Area sealed." The electronic voice said and a metal covering slide up onto the window, leaving only a thin strip of glass visible.

The guard threw himself against the window trying to see into the room.

"What is that stuff?" He asked.

"Joker Toxin!" Batman said angrily. "Listen! The room is full of poison gas. Anyone caught in there is dead!"

The guard looked from Batman to the room.

"Are you going to get in there and help them, Batman?" The guard asked.

Batman walked away from the guard and looked up. There was an opening above him. Batman launched his grapple and pulled himself up into a small room. He saw a ventilation cover and went to work removing it. Once removed, he traveled through the vent and kicked off another ventilation cover blocking his path. As he did this, he realized something.

"_This isn't a simple escape attempt. Joker's been planning this."_

The ventilation cover flew off and Batman stepped out onto the tops of a visible ventilation network. A guard hanging from the edge called out to Batman.

"Please help me." He said, straining from the effort of holding himself up.

Batman walked over to the guard and grabbed the back of his bulletproof vest, pulling him up.

"You're going to be fine. Stay here." Batman said.

Batman ran and jumped a gap in between the ventilation systems. Landing on the other vents, he heard the guard he just rescued call out to his friend.

"Batman's here! Just hold on a little longer, Steve!"

His friend Steve replied from across the room in a tense voice, "I can't. I'm gonna fall!"

Batman looked up towards another system of vents and spotted Steve, hanging from the edge of an overhanging vent. Batman started towards a ladder that led up to Steve, but a sudden explosion blew it off the wall. Instead of climbing, Batman grappled up to the otherwise inaccessible vent system. Batman walked over to the distressed guard and pulled him back over the ledge by the back of his vest.

"I'm going after the animal that did this." Batman growled as he set the guard safely on the vent.

The guard Batman had first rescued called out to him.

"Batman! The extraction system! Steve was trying to get to the control panel at the end of the room!"

Turning back around, Batman leap off the vent and glided down to a smaller system. A bare-chested inmate hung like a rag doll from a vent.

"I can't believe he left me here! That son of a…" the guard said heatedly.

Batman reached down and grabbed the inmate by the shoulder. Dragging him up, Batman placed him on the vent sprawled out from exhaustion. The inmate looked up at Batman and, in return, Batman knocked the inmate out with a fist to his skull.

Looking around, Batman noticed several fans spread evenly throughout the room. Batman turned on his detective vision and the room was bathed in several shades of blue. Light neon blue bodies sat deceased and bright orange light shone off the fans and attached wires. Following the wires, Batman traced them back to extractor control points.

"Hmm." Batman thought, "There's the extractor control point. A well-aimed Batarang should power it up."

Aiming a Batarang, he threw it at the glass covering the panic button, activating the extraction fans. The fans activated and the gas disappeared, leaving the room below, clear.

An electronic voice signaled the room's new status.

"Attention. Air purity is now at normal levels."

The Joker's laughter flitted through the speakers in the room, starting softly and the building. Then there was silence.

"Attention." The electronic voice said, "Decontamination Room access is now permitted."

Running out of the decontamination room, Batman heard a guard cheering him on.

"Go Batman! You rock! Joker doesn't stand a chance!"

Other than being littered with dead bodies, the decontamination room had several Joker Toxin canisters lined along the walls. They looked like normal green oxygen tanks, but had an evil purple grin painted on the front. In addition, the Joker had left Batman a 'trail' to follow other than the death and destruction that was obvious. Bright green arrows marked his path as he followed one out an automatic door. Lined along the walls was the same phrase in bright green spray paint: HaHa.

Following the arrows, the Joker came through the speakers.

"What are you waiting for? I'm so close you can almost taste me."

Moving faster, Batman rounded a corner, taking in a vandalized photo of Quincy Sharp. A large bright green Joker grin disfigured the warden's face. It was a disturbing image. Batman passed several photos like this as he followed the arrows. Turning down a narrow corridor, the arrows stopped and a lone grin marked the floor. Looking up, the automatic door in front of him bared a much more malicious looking smile.

Stepping through the door, Batman laid his eyes on the one man he needed to find. The Joker.

"What took you so long?" The Joker said as he strolled along a metal container hanging above a seemingly bottomless pit.

Walking towards the Joker, Batman pulled a Batarang from his belt and threw it at the Joker's head. The Joker ducked at the last second and it struck harmlessly at a pair of chains. The Joker let out a long stream of laughter.

"There's no escape, Joker. I will find you." Batman said to the clown prince of crime.

"I'm counting on it." The Joker said with a wide grin, "Just not yet!"

The Joker threw his foot down once onto the container below him. The locked door hissed air as it lowered open. A large reddish pink hand with long dark talons appeared on the side of the container.

"Oooh. He's a big one." The Joker commented as the beast inside the container removed itself.

The beast before Batman held a slight resemblance to a human, but only just. Its body was three times the size of a large man. The transformation was not effective throughout the whole body. Certain parts were overly large while the other remained thin and small. An arm so largely mutated on the shoulder that it ripped the skin, dwarfed the other arm. Bones were also visible, pierced through its skin. A white spinal column on its back or the ends of his elbow pushed out his arms. Small, odd-looking bones lined its skull like horns. Its tendons bulged in its neck as it let out an animal like growl. This creature was no longer human.

The Joker giggled gleefully as Batman readied to fight this monster. The mutated monster grabbed a dead guard from off the ground and threw it at Batman. Batman launched into a roll, evading the flying body. It let out a roar and threw its arms back, running towards Batman. Batman evaded its charge as he thought of a way to defeat the mutant.

Circling the mutant, Batman waited for it to charge. When it did, he simultaneously threw a Batarang at its head and dodged the assault. The creature threw its hand up to hold its injured face, blocking its view of the wall. It hit the wall hard and stunned itself. Batman took this moment to run up and punch the creature several times.

The creature shook off the injury and threw its large fist in the arm. Batman took that as a sign to get out-of-the-way and he did. The mutant threw its hand down on the ground, creating a sort of wave that would have knocked Batman down if he were within its range. Batman fought the mutant for about a minute, using his dodge and throw tactic until the creature stopped and clutched at its chest. The mutant moved his hands to his head and shook it wildly while roaring in pain. The mutant's eyes shone a bright green, brighter than before, and then crushing to darkness. The mutant fell backwards, lifeless.

"Well, that was unexpected, wasn't it?" The Joker said looking down on the fallen creature, "Oh well, note to self, need stronger test subjects." He finished to himself with his hand covering his face in embarrassment.

Snapping out of his soliloquy, he looked at the Batman.

"Seeing as how I'm feeling generous, I'll give you this one for free." He said, moving to the very edge of the container he was standing on, spreading his arms wide.

"Knock me off. I dare you! End this, pull the plug, stop me once and for all." He shouted in a heated voice.

Batman removed a Batarang from his belt, ready to throw it. There was a tense moment of silence and then Batman sighed in defeat, lowering the Batarang.

The Joker laughed at the ceiling, his arms still spread wide.

"You're getting predictable, Bats!" The Joker said as a set of large door opened behind him. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a party to organize. I've got guests flying in from all over Arkham. You'll see." The Joker finished as the container was pulled through the doors.

The Joker's psychotic laughter drifted through the room as the doors sealed themselves once more, leaving Batman alone with a mutant's corpse.

* * *

Thank you, thank you. No applause please! (: I'm enjoying this as much as I enjoy seeing my story getting favorites! There will definitely be more! Leave a review!


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